Power connector with safety feature

ABSTRACT

Electrical receptacle connectors are provided including an insulative housing and AC power contacts disposed therein that are configured for engaging an external power supply. The receptacle connectors are employed with a safety guard for restricting operator access to hot AC power contacts when disconnected from complementary header connectors. Preferred safety guards include projections extending along at least a portion of perimeter areas surrounding housing apertures that provide access to engaging portions of the AC power contacts. The projections define a safety gap between human digits directed toward the housing apertures and the AC power contacts.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/352,531filed Jan. 28, 2003, now abandoned the contents of which is incorporatedby reference herein in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to electrical power connectors that areuseful in circuit board or backplane interconnection systems. Connectorsof the present invention include a safety feature that restricts accessto hot AC power contacts housed within the connectors.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There has been significant evolution in the area of electricalconnectors, with improvements including multi-function consolidationwithin a single connector housing, and employment of features foreffective heat dissipation generated from electrical power transmission.For example, Clark et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 6,319,075, discloses anelectrical connector including both power and signal contacts within asingle insulative housing, thereby eliminating the need for two separateconnectors. Preferred power contacts disclosed in the '075 patent employa “dual-mass” principle that provides a greater surface area availablefor heat dissipation, as compared to “single-mass” designed contacts,such as, for example, those having a circular or pin-like cross section.

Electrical connectors similar to those above may further comprise an ACpower cable port and AC power contacts for direct connection with anexternal power supply. Examples of such connectors are commerciallyavailable from FCI Electronics, Inc. FCI's PWRBLADE brand connectorseries includes a receptacle connector that consists of AC powercontacts, DC power contacts, signal contacts, and a shrouded AC cableport. Each of the power contacts includes two contact walls with a spacetherebetween to facilitate heat dissipation. Two patent applicationsowned by the assignee of the instant application and generally relatedto power distribution connectors, U.S. patent application Ser. No.09/160,900 filed Sep. 25, 1998 and Ser. No. 09/944,266 filed Aug. 31,2001, are currently pending in the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, andare incorporated by reference herein.

Power distribution connectors that are engaged with an AC power cableplug when the mating face is unconnected to a complementary connector,may provide access of foreign objects to engaging portions of the hot ACpower contacts. Accordingly, there is room for improvement in the art.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

The present invention is related to electrical connectors havingcontacts for transmitting electrical power and electrical signals in asingle connector. In accordance with a preferred embodiment of thepresent invention, there has now been provided an electrical connectorcomprising an insulative housing including a connector mating face, andan AC power contact disposed in the insulative housing. The connectormating face comprises an aperture to provide access to an engagingportion of the AC power contact, and a guard for preventing direct humantouching of the engaging portion.

In accordance with another preferred embodiment of the presentinvention, there has now been provided an electrical connectorcomprising an insulative housing, and an AC power contact disposed inthe insulative housing. The power contact includes an engaging portioncomprising two spaced apart contact walls. The insulative housingincludes a mating face having an aperture therein to provide access tothe AC power contact, and a guard proximate a perimeter of the apertureto define an electrical shock safety gap of at least about 5 mm betweena human digit that is directed towards the aperture and the engagingportion of the AC power contact.

In accordance with yet another preferred embodiment of the presentinvention, there has now been provided an electrical connectorcomprising an insulative housing having a mating face, a plurality of ACpower contacts, a plurality of DC power contacts, and a plurality ofsignal contacts. The mating face comprises a plurality of spaced apartapertures to provide access to a mating portion of a power or signalcontact, and at least one outwardly directed projection extending alongat least a portion of a perimeter defined by each of the aperturescorresponding to the plurality of AC power contacts.

These and various other features of novelty, and their respectiveadvantages, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexedhereto and forming a part hereof. However, for a better understanding ofaspects of the invention, reference should be made to the drawings whichform a further part hereof, and to the accompanying descriptive matter,in which there is illustrated preferred embodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an electrical connector embodimentprovided by the present invention including anti-shock guard projectionsextending from its mating face.

FIG. 2 is a partial front view of the electrical connector embodimentshown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of another electrical connector embodimentprovided by the present invention including beam and hood projectionsextending from its mating face.

FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view of the electrical connectorembodiment shown in FIG. 3, and including a simulated human digitdirected towards an aperture providing access to an AC power contact.

FIG. 5 is a partial cutaway view of the electrical connector embodimentshown in FIG. 3, illustrating a safety gap between a simulated humandigit and a power contact housed with the connector.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an AC power contact embodimentcomprising two spaced apart contact walls and a tab extending from oneof the contact walls.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a DC power contact embodiment comprisingtwo spaced apart contact walls and a plurality of terminals extendingfrom each of the contact walls.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention is believed to be best understood through thefollowing detailed description of preferred embodiments and theaccompanying drawings wherein like reference numbers indicate likefeatures. Referring to FIG. 1, an electrical receptacle connector 10 isshown including an insulative housing 12 having a mating face 20 forreceiving a complimentary header connector (not shown). Mating face 20contains a plurality of apertures that provide access to electricalcontacts disposed in insulative housing 12. Apertures 30 provide accessto engaging portions of signal contacts 100, apertures 31 provide accessto engaging portions of DC power contacts 80 (shown in FIG. 7), andapertures 32 provide access to engaging portions of AC power contacts 70(shown in FIG. 6). Although the number and arrangement of the variousapertures is identical in all of the figures herein, connectors coveredby the appended claims may have any number of contacts and correspondingapertures that are arranged in various configurations.

A shrouded AC cable port 40 extends from a top portion 21 of housing 12.An external power supply is provided by way of an AC power cable plug41, which is shown partially inserted within AC cable port 40. Preferredconnectors may alternatively be configured so that AC cable port 40extends from a bottom portion or rear portion of housing 12. AC powercable plug 41 engages vertically-oriented AC power contacts 70 (shown inFIG. 6). An anti-shock guard 50 is employed to restrict direct operatoraccess (that is, direct human touching without the aid of a tool) to thehot AC power contacts 70 during times when AC power cable plug 41 isengaged and receptacle connector 10 is disconnected from a complementaryheader connector.

Preferred exemplary embodiments of anti-shock guard 50 will be describedwith reference to FIGS. 2-5. Mating face 20 includes a perimeter area 35associated with each of apertures 32 that provide access to AC powercontacts 70. Perimeter area 35 is shown as a dotted line in FIG. 2;however, the perimeter area as included in the preferred embodiments andappended claims should not be construed as a fixed area limited tocontact with or within a certain distance of apertures 32, but rather isthe area generally surrounding apertures 32. Anti-shock guard 50 maycomprise one or more projections extending outwardly along at least aportion of perimeter area 35. By way of example and as shown in FIGS.2-4, two spaced apart beams 51 and 52 are disposed on one side ofperimeter area 35 and two additional spaced apart beams 53 and 54 aredisposed on the opposing side. A space exists between each pair of beams51, 52 and 53, 54 to provide room for structural features employed on acomplementary header connector. The space may for example, support andinsulate electrical contacts extending from the header connector, orprovide a latching feature. Alternative embodiments (not shown)contemplated and covered by the appended claims include, but are notlimited to, a single projection disposed on opposing sides of perimeterarea 35, and a single projection extending along a sufficient portion ofperimeter area 35 to encompass opposing sides thereof. Connector 10 isshown having two apertures 32, with beams 53 and 54 serving as jointanti-shock guard projections on one side of the adjacent perimeter areas35 of the two apertures. Individual, side-by-side beams couldalternatively be employed that extend from the adjacent perimeter areas.Since beams 53 and 54 collectively restrict operator access to twoadjacent apertures, they are preferably slightly larger than beams 51and 52.

Now referring to FIG. 3, another projection in the form of a hood 56preferably extends from a top position of perimeter area 35 and inbetween opposing beams 51 and 53. Hood 56 restricts operator access toapertures 32 from a position above connector 10. Hood 56 is shown as asingle projection extending over two adjacent apertures 32; however,hood 56 could alternatively comprise multiple individual projectionsassociated with the individual apertures. As illustrated by comparingFIGS. 1 and 3, preferred connectors may include an anti-shock guard 50having one type of projection discussed above (beam and hood) and notthe other.

As can be seen in FIGS. 4 and 5, a simulated human digit 90 directedtowards an aperture 32 is restricted from touching the hot AC powercontact 70 accessible via aperture 32. A safety gap 91 of at least 5 mmis provided between simulated human digit 90 and an engaging portion ofthe AC power contact.

Housing 12, AC cable port 40, and anti-shock guard 50 are preferablymolded or formed from a glass-filled high temperature nylon or othermaterials known to one having ordinary skill in the art. AC cable port40 and anti-shock guard 50 may be integrally molded with housing 12, oralternatively, be manufactured separately and then coupled to housing12.

Power circuits can undergo changes in electrical properties because ofthe relatively high current flows, for example, on the order of 30 ampsor more in certain electronic equipment. Preferred power contacts aredesigned to dissipate heat generated from power transmission so thatchanges in circuit characteristics are minimized. A preferred AC powercontact 70 is shown in FIG. 6, comprising an engaging portion 71 havingtwo spaced apart contact walls 72 and 73 connected by a bridging element74. Employing two contact walls increases the electrical integrity ofthe connector. Also, the two contact walls in conjunction withintermediate space 75 increases the ability and rate of heatdissipation. A tab 76 extends from contact wall 72 for engaging AC powercable plug 41. Although not shown, both contact walls 72 and 73 mayinclude a tab for engaging an external power supply.

Referring now to FIG. 7, a preferred DC power contact 80 is shown,similar to the preferred AC power contact 70, comprising an engagingportion 81 having two spaced apart contact walls 82 and 83 connected bya bridging element 84. One or both, as shown in FIG. 7, of contact walls82 and 83 have terminals 86 for connection with a circuit board (notshown).

Power contacts 70 and 80 are preferably loaded into housing 12 from therear. The contact walls and/or bridging element of the AC and DC powercontacts 70, 80 may contain notches or other female elements, and/ortangs or other male elements for retaining the power contacts in housing12. Preferred power contacts 70 and 80 are stamped or otherwise formedas single piece from suitable materials such as phosphor bronze alloysor beryllium copper alloys. Signal contacts 100 (shown in FIG. 1disposed in housing 12) are preferably “pin-type” contacts that includetail portions for connection with a circuit board, and are made fromsuitable materials, such as, for example, copper alloys. The power andsignal contacts may be plated with gold, or a combination of gold andnickel.

It is to be understood that even though numerous characteristics andadvantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoingdescription, together with details of the structure and function of theinvention, the disclosure is illustrative only. Accordingly, changes maybe made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size and arrangementof features within the principles of the invention to the full extentindicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which theappended claims are expressed.

1. An electrical connector, comprising: an insulative housing includinga connector mating face; a DC power contact disposed in said insulativehousing, said DC power contact comprising a pair of opposed and spacedapart contact walls, and one or more terminals extending from one of thecontact walls for engaging a circuit board; an AC power contact disposedin said insulative housing; and a shrouded AC cable port extending fromsaid insulative housing at a location that is different from that ofsaid connector mating face; wherein said connector mating facecomprises: an aperture therein to provide access to a engaging portionof said AC power contact; a perimeter area adjacent said aperture; and aguard proximate said perimeter area for preventing direct human touchingof said engaging portion of said AC power contact.
 2. The electricalconnector according to claim 1, wherein said AC power contact comprisesa pair of opposed and spaced apart contact walls, and a tab extendingfrom at least one of the contact walls.
 3. The electrical connectoraccording to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of signal contactsdisposed in said insulative housing.
 4. The electrical connectoraccording to claim 1, wherein said guard comprises at least oneprojection extending outwardly from opposing sides of said perimeterarea.
 5. The electrical connector according to claim 4, wherein saidguard comprises two spaced apart projections extending outwardly fromeach of the opposing sides of said perimeter area.
 6. The electricalconnector according to claim 3 5, wherein said two spaced apartprojections are dissimilar.
 7. An electrical connector, comprising: aninsulative housing including a connector mating face including first andsecond apertures formed therein; a first type of power contact disposedin said insulative housing and accessible through said first aperture; asecond type of power contact disposed in said insulative housing, saidsecond type of power contact being accessible through said secondaperture and having a different configuration than that of said firsttype of power contact; and at least one projection extending outwardlyfrom said connector mating face and along at least a portion of aperimeter of said first aperture to inhibit entry of a human digit intosaid first aperture, wherein said first type of power contact comprisesa pair of opposed and spaced apart walls, at least one of which includesa tab for engaging an AC power cable plug; and wherein said second typeof power contact comprises a second pair of opposed and spaced apartwalls including a plurality of terminals extending therefrom forengaging a printed circuit board.